Ben Shelton is undeniably an entertaining tennis player, but at times his desire to impress clouds his progression through tournaments.
It’s a shame, given how much talent this 22-year-old has at his fingertips.
His youth is a blessing though, and there is still so much time for him to grow into the genuine contender many believe he can be.
However, competition across the board is only growing.
Ben Shelton loves to watch two of his rivals
Speaking to Sky Sports earlier today, the American actually sought to review the current state of the men’s tour, praising some of his rivals.
He singled Carlos Alcaraz out for particular adulation, when asked who his favourite players to watch were, but gave a somewhat surprising alternative alongside the Spaniard.
Ben Shelton claimed: ‘I love watching Alcaraz and I love watching Grigor Dimitrov. I’d say those two are my two favourites. Alcaraz is a great athlete, can hit every shot in the book, entertains the crowd and always has a smile on his face. He is a personality on the court, that is what I like to watch and he gives me that fix of seeing an entertainer but someone who also plays the game at the highest level.
‘Grigor plays the game so beautifully. I think that a lot of what he does is similar to what Roger used to do. Perfect technique, slice, the serve. He is technically sound on every shot, so that is why I adore watching him.’
Could Ben Shelton break into the ATP top ten next year?
Currently, Shelton sits 17th in the ATP world rankings, and 20th in the live rankings in the Race to Turin.
His participation in that latter event is near-impossible, but next year, he is expected to more than threaten for that and many other titles.
After all, this American is building, having enjoyed a rapid rise that could definitely see him shatter into the top ten in 2025.
His attempts to do so will certainly be buoyed by a vast underperformance across the board at the sport’s highest-rated events, having only surpassed the third round in one of the four Grand Slams throughout 2024.
And then, going through the Masters 1000 events, and his best run to the quarter-finals in Cincinnati was only followed up by a fourth-round exit in Shanghai. The rest saw third and even second-round departures, meaning there will be little points for him to defend.
Despite this, Shelton has all the attributes to thrive, as a big-serving left-hander who can strike a ball just as well as he can feather in a drop shot.
Should he iron out some of the flaws in his game, including his at times questionable shot selection and sloppy footwork, 2025 might be the year where he explodes, announcing himself as the other contender alongside Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
That is, depending on the outcome of the drug case involving the latter.
Andy Roddick has predicted how long Sinner’s ban might be.
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